“EastEnders fans were left worried after the latest cliffhanger, where beloved Nigel Bates was shown falling asleep in the bath and slipping underwater.”
Nigel Bates has left EastEnders fans fearing the worst.
The Walford resident (played by Paul Bradley) renewed his wedding vows with wife Julie Bates (Karen Henthorn) during Wednesday’s episode of the BBC One soap.
The last-minute ceremony came after Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) discovered that Nigel, who is living with young-onset dementia, was still looking forward to the event despite its earlier postponement.
Linda also learned that Julie had several bruises on her arms, which she had sustained when her confused husband had lashed out over recent months.
As viewers are aware, Nigel and Julie are currently staying at the B&B, after Julie decided to leave the home of Nigel’s best friend, Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), following a fit of anger.
Mark Fowler (Stephen Aaron-Sipple) had revealed Phil’s plan to take Nigel to Portugal, even though she would have preferred he spend his remaining days in a care home.
A confused Nigel wandered into the road, mistakenly thinking Phil was his best man.
He reluctantly agreed to help Phil get ready for the big day but had no intention of staying for the ceremony once he had dropped him off. However, as the day unfolded, Julie noticed that Phil was consumed by guilt over his actions, and she realised that forgiving him would be the best outcome for everyone.
Julie even decided that moving back into the Mitchell household would be beneficial for Nigel and asked Phil to take him home.
It had been a long day for Nigel, so Phil began running a bath for his friend.
Meanwhile, Phil’s nephew Mark was busy bringing suitcases back into the house, and as the two men chatted, they were unaware of the danger unfolding upstairs.
Later, Nigel was seen dozing off and starting to slip beneath the water. Will he be rescued in time?
Sharing their reactions on X (formerly Twitter), one fan wrote: “Well, I wasn’t expecting that ending #EastEnders.”
Another added: “Okay, but if that’s how Nigel goes, I won’t recover for weeks #EastEnders.”
A third posted: “@bbceastenders NO NO NO NO NO! I’m not ready!! Nigel!! #EastEnders.”
Someone else asked: “OMG, is Nigel dead? #EastEnders.”
Actor Paul Bradley originally debuted as Nigel in 1992, played the role until 1998, and returned to the show in 2024.
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